Combined engine starter and compressor



Feb. 251936. R. M. NARDONE COMBINED ENGINE STARTER AND COMPRESSOR Original Filed Aug. 26, 1930 NVENTOR Romeo/l4. Mrraorze;

i g5 w ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 25, 1936 UNITED STATES COMBINED ENGINE STARTER AND COMPRESSOR Romeo M. Nardone, East Orange, N. .L, assignor to Eclipse Aviation Corporation, East Orange, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application August 26,

1930, Serial No. 477,905

Renewed June 20, 1935 7 Claims.

The present invention relates to engine starting apparatus for internal combustion engines, and more particularly to starting mechanism of the automatic meshing type.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a novel engine starter in combination with auxiliary apparatus, such as a fluid compressor, for example, which may be driven by said engine after the latter is started and operating under its own power.

'Another object is to provide novel starting mechanism for internalcombustion engines, which mechanism includes, in combination, a fluid compressor and an engine starting motor.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel engine starter of the above type embodying a fluid compressor adapted to be driven by the engine to be started after the latter is operating under its own power, whereby a reserve supply of fluid may be maintained under pressure suitable for the desired purpose.

Another object is to provide in .a power actuated engine starter including a driving member adapted to be moved automatically into crank-' ing engagement with a member of the engine to be started, a novel combination of a prime mover, a fluid compressor, and means whereby said driving member may be actuated by said prime mover to crank said engine and whereby said compressor may be driven by the engine after the latter is started.

Another object is to provide a unitary structure embodying a starting means and a compressor operable by the engine after the latter is started.

A further object is to provide a novel engine starter of the above type having suitable gearing for operatively connecting said starter to an engine to be started and a compressor operatively connected to said engine, whereby said compressor may be driven at high speed after the engine is started, thus permitting the use of a small compressor.

A still further object is to provide novel engine starting mechanism which embodies transmission and driving means adapted to transmit the energy developed in the starting motor to a member of the engine to be started, and a fluid compressor adapted to be driven by the engine after the latter is started. Still another object is to provide novel engine starting mechanism that is reliable and efficient in operation, light, compact, and simple in structure, and hence facilitating assembly, maintenance, and replacement of parts.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent more fully hereinafter from consideration of the detailed description which follows, together with the accompanying drawing, wherein is illustrated. one embodiment of the invention. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawing is for the purpose of illustration only, and is not designed as a deflnition of the limits of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawing, wherein like reference charac- 5 ters refer to like parts,

I Fig. 1 is an axial sectional view of one form of structure embodying the present invention; and

Fig. 2 is a right end elevation of Fig. 1, with a portion of the housing broken away.

The embodiment of the present invention illustrated comprises an engine starter of the type having a driving or engine-engaging member adapted for advancement into cranking engagement with a member of the engine to be started and which may be actuated by power means through a suitable train of reduction gearing and other drive transmission means, the power'means being shown by way of preference as comprising a fluid pressure motor or engine.

In the form shown, the driving member, drive transmission means, and reduction gearing are suitably supported and housed within a substantially cylindrical casing section 3 which is detachably connected to the housing or crank case 4 of the engine to be started by suitable means, such as bolts 5, while the power actuating means are in turn suitably housed in two casing sections 6 and l, which are detachably connected to each other by any suitable means, such as screws 8, and to casing section 3 by any suitable means, such as bolts 9. Section 6 is open at its outer end in order to facilitate assembly and maintenance of the power actuating means; while section I forms a closure for the casing, a bearing for the shaft and power actuating means, and distributing passageways for the motive fluid.

The power actuated means preferably comprise a fluid pressure engine or motor, the crank shaft 40 of which is drivably connected to the driving or engine-engaging member of the starter through a suitable reduction gear train and other drive transmission means.

In the form shown, a plurality of radially ar- 45 ranged cylinders I0, I I, and I2 are secured by any suitable means, such as screws l3, to the outer casing section I, the upper ends of the cylinders extending radially from said casing. There may be any suitable number of these cylinders, ar- 0 ranged singly or in pairs, but preferably three cylinders are employed and spaced substantially degrees apart.

Each cylinder is provided with a lining l 4 which extends within casing section I and forms an ex- 55 pansion chamber l5 within which a piston I6 is reciprocated, said lining being held in its proper position within the casing by means of a shoulder l1, which is clamped between the cylinder casing and casing section 1. Means are provided 60 extension 2122 of the crank pin portion 2|. Shaft portion 19 is suitably journaled as by means of bearing 25 supported in? boss 25 formed in the outer face of easing section 6; while shaftportion I 9 is suitably journaled, as by means of a bearing 21 in a boss 28 formed integrally with casing section 1. Pistons l5, which are made of very light material and left hollow inside in order 7 to reduce the weight to a minimum, are provided with the usual wrist pins 29 and piston rods 20, the latter being joumaled on the crank pin 22, as by means of a tight fitting bearing 3| and a loose bearing 32, and held in assembled relation on the crank pin by means of rings 33.

Suitable means are provided for supplying and exhausting a motive fluid to the above described fluid pressure engine, said means in the present embodiment comprising passageways disposed within the casing section 1 and cylinders Iii, ii, and i2, and utilizing the shaft portion l9 as a distributing valve, said portion being provided with a suitable sleeve member 34 fixed to the shaft portion l9 by means of pins 35. As shown, each of the cylinders is provided wtih a channel 35 opening into the top of expansion chamber through a port 31 formed in the lining l4, which channel is a continuation of a similar channel 38 formed in casing section I. These channels act as both intake and exhaust passages for the cylinders.

A supply passage (not shown) v,iormed in a boss 39 (Fig. 2) and an exhaust opening 45 formed in casing section I are also provided, the supply passage in the boss 39 being suitably connected,

as by means of a supply pipe 4| and a main control valve (not shown) in said pipe which may be conveniently located, as in the cockpit of an airplane, to a source of fluid under pressure (not shown) such as a compressed air tank; while-exhaust passage 49 may discharge directly into the atmosphere. Supply passage in boss 39 and channel 35-39 lead to the interior of boss 28, within which shaft portion IQ of the crank shaft is iournaled. Interposed between the interior of said boss and crank shaft and fixedly secured to the former, as by means of a pin 21a is the beforementioned bearing member or valve bushing 21, which is provided with a plurality of ports registering with the respective passages in the casing section I. A main supply port 42 registers with the passage formed in boss 39 and extends cireumferentially around the interior of bearing member or bushing 21, and a plurality of combined supply and exhaust ports 43 register with passage 38. Sleeve member 34 carried by the shaft portion l9 of the crank shaft, which extends within bushing 21 and rotates relative thereto, is provided with a pair of longitudinal grooves or passages such that as the sleeve member rotates with the shaft it performs the function of a distributing valve. For this purpose, a supply groove or assage 441s provided intermediate the ends of the sleeve member and is of sufilcient length to connect supply port 42 with any oi the combined supply and exhaust ports 43 whenever the crank shaft is in such a position that said passage registers with one of the latter ports. A second, or exhaust groove 45 is formed in the outer end of sleeve inember 34 suitably located circumferentially on said sleeve member 34 with respect to supply groove or passage 44 approximately 180 degrees therefrom, and is of sumcient length to connect ports 43 with the atmosphere through the by a pinion 41, which may be integral with shaft portion l8 of the crank shaft or may be separate and suitably secured to the shaft as by splines, if desired. Formed integral with hub 48 of internal gear 45 is a pinion or sun gear 49 which meshes with a plurality of planetary gears 55,

preferably three in number, the planetary gears in turn engaging with a stationary internal ring gear 5| secured to the interior of casing section 3 in any suitable manner, as by means of screws 52. Dowel pins 53 preferably extend into casing 3 and ring gear 5| to prevent shearing of the screws. The planetary gears 50 are journaled on sleeve bearings 54 which are countersunk in and mounted on the base 55 of a driving barrel 56, which forms a part of the drive transmission means later to be described, by means of screws 51 and are held in proper operative position on the bearing thus formed by means of a retaining ring 58. The internal gear 46 and integral pinion 49 are journaled on a shaft 59, as by means of a sleeve bearing 59. The shaft 59 is free to rotate independently of the internal gear 46 and pinion 49 in a bore formed in the starter mechanism, for a purpose to be described hereinafter.

The drive transmission means, which includes driving barrel 55, is adapted to transmit the rotation of the fluid pressure engine crank shaft as received by said barrel through the reduction gearing to a driving or engine-engaging member which is adapted to be moved into engagement with and to crank a member of the engine to be started.

In the form shown, driving barrel 55 is rotatably supported within casing section 3, and suitable means are provided for transmitting the rotation of barrel 56 to a driving or engineengaging member 5i having a clutch jaw 52 and for moving said driving member axially into engagement with a corresponding member 53 of the engine to be started. Accordingly driving barrel 55 is provided internally with a threaded portion 54 intermediate its ends, and an exteriorly threaded member 55 is positioned therewithin, said member being provided adjacent its inner end with a lock nut 55 secured to a bushing or sleeve 51 for holding said member 55 in groper cooperating relation with driving memer 5|. ber 55 is limited by a shoulder adjacent the threaded portion 54 of the barrel 55. A hub member 58 is pressed in barrel 55 and serves as a bearing for the shaft 59. Longitudinal movement of the barrel is prevented by means of a nut 59 secured to the end thereof and which also holds a bushing 10 in position, the latter serving as a bearing for the barrel. The driving or engine-engaging member 5| is slldably supported in and drivably connected to barrel 55 by any The inward motion of threaded meme 2,032,025 suitable means, such as splines 1| formed an.

- ed member 65 provides a positive driving connection between the members and also allows the former to move longitudinally into cranking engagement with the engine member 63. A coil spring 13 surrounding the bushing 61 is seated in a recess formed in one end of the member 65 and bears against the back of driving member 6|, thus resiliently urging the latter towards engine member 63.

An oil-sealing member 14 is suitably secured between the flanges of starter casing 3 and en-' gine casing 4 and surrounds driving member BI and the end of the transmission driving means toprevent oil'from leaking from' within the engine casing 4 back into the starter mechanism. Preferably, member 18 also carries means for causing automatic advancement of v the driving member 6| into engagement with .engine member 63 In the form shown, said means comprises a two-part ring 15, which is held in frictional engagement with a lip 16 formed on oilsealing member 18 by means of a coil spring 11, said ring 15 being provided on its interior surface.with a plurality of ,circumferentially spaced lugs 18 which are adapted toengage'corresponding notches 19 formed in the periphery of driving member 6|. Frictional resistance to rotation of ring 15 on lip 16 tends to retard driving member 6| and threaded member 65 with respect to driving barrel 56 when the latter rotates to cause. relative rotation and longitudinal movement therebetween, and the threaded engagement between member 65 and driving barrel 56 being such that the member travels to the left, as viewed in the drawing, until it abuts against the shoulder 56a, whereupon the member and driving barrel rotate together, ring 15 then slipping around on lip 16 of oil-sealing member 18. Movement of member 65 to the left due to relative rotation between it and the driving barrel acts, through spring 13, to resiliently urge driving member 6| to the left into engagement with engine member 63 until the clutch jaw 62 on the driving member engages -a similar clutch jaw formed on engine member 63. When the engine to be started starts under its'own power, clutch jaw on engine member 68' overruns clutch jaw 62, and the inclined faces of the jaw teeth are effective to cause the driving member 6| to be moved to the right, and out of engagement with engine member 63.

Should a back-fire of the engine being started occur during the starting operation, the various parts of the starting mechanism will be adequately protected against injury, since the reverse torque caused by the back-fire will be transmitted back through the drive transmission means and reduction gearing to crank shaft l8 of the fluid pressure engine, where the shock will be cushioned due to the compressible character of the motivefluid.

It is'desirable that a reserve supply of fluid under pressure be maintained at all times for operating the fluid pressure motor or engine, and to this end the invention providesa', fluid compressor adapted to be driven by the engine being started after the latter is operating under its own power. In the form shown, the compressor comprises a cylinder 88 provided with cooling flanges 8| and which may be secured to casing section 1 in any suitable manner, as by means of screws 82. A closure plate 83*is secured to toe cylinder by means of screws 84, forming a compression chamber 85 within the cylinder 88, within which a piston 86 is adapted to be reciprocated. Means are provided for reciprocating piston 86 comprising a crank shaft 81 which is suitably journaled as by means of sleeve bearings 88 and 89 supported in bosses 98 and 9| formed in the casing sections 6 and I, respectively. Piston 86 is provided with the usual wrist pin 92 and piston rod 93, the latter being journaled on crank pin 94 of the crank shaft 81, as by means of a bearing 95.

In accordance with the invention, crank shaft 81 is adapted to be driven by the engine to be started after the latter is operating under its own power, and to this end the shaft 59 extends through a bore formed by the drive transmission means and the reduction gearing of the starter,

and is secured to the engine member 63 in any suitable manner, as by means of splines 96, and in turn is connected to the crank shaft 81 by means of splines 91. It will be apparent that, after the engine is started by'means of the starter mechanism abovev described, the shaft 59 will be free to rotate within the sleeve or bushing 61 and the bearings 68 and 68, thereby driving the crank shaft 81 in its bearings 88 and 89 to cause reciprocation of the piston 86 within the cylinder 88.

Suitable means are provided for admitting a fluid into the compression chamber 85 and for exhausting it therefrom after compression. In the form shown, a, suitable valve 98 may be threaded into the closure plate 83 of the compressor and so arranged that on the upward or suction stroke of the piston, valve member 99 is raised against the tension of the spring I88 by the suction formed in the chamber 85 and the fluid admitted thereinto. On the downward or compression stroke of the piston 86, the fluid is compressed in chamber 85 and caused to pass through a suitable one-way valve, such as a ball valve l8| formed in the piston 86, through an exhaust passage I82 located in the piston 85, into the annular chamber which is formed between the reduced portion of the piston'and the lower part of the cylinder when said reduced portion is below the shoulder 88a formed in the cylinder wall. on the next upward or suction stroke the fluid, due to its compressed state, is exhausted through a suitable one-way valve, such as a ball proper lubrication for the rotating parts.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The normal at rest position of the parts of the starter mechanism is shown in Fig. 1 with clutch jaw 62 of driving member 6| disengaged from engine member 63. When it is desired to crank the engine with which the starter is associated, the main control valve in the supply pipe M is opened and a motive fluid under pressure is supplied to one of the cylinders through the valve mechanism on shaft portion l9 of the crank shaft of the fluid pressure motor, and upon en'- t'ering expansion chamber 15, acts upon piston l6, forcing it downward, and through the crank pin exerts a force on the crank shaft and rotates the latter. After the crank shaft'has rotated throughapproximately 180 degrees, the expansion chamber i5 is connected with the atmosbarrel 56.

Owing to the drag imposed on driving mem-- ber 6| by the frictional engagement of ring 15 and lip 16, as previously described, relative rota- .tion between driving barrel 56 and threaded member 65 occurs, causing the latter to move to the left, compressing spring 13 and yieldingly moving driving member 6| inwardly into engagement with the engine member 63. As soon as the engine starts under its own power, engine jaw 63 overruns starter jaw, 62 and, due to the threaded engagement between member 65 and driving barrel 56, forces driving member 6| back to its original position shown in the drawing. The engine, now operating under its own power, causes the rotation of shaft 59 by means of the splined connection between the engine member and shaft, and the shaft in turn causes the actuation of'the crank shaft8|, thereby reciprocating the piston 86 by means of the crank pin 94 and the piston rod 93.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that there is provided by the present invention, a starter for internalcombustion engines which is entirely independent of electrical energy for its operation and hence well suited for use particularly in large aircraft, where it is desired to avoid a heavy drain upon the batteries during starting. The starter described includes as its power operating means, a compact and eflicient fluid pressure motor or engine combined with reduction gearing and other drive transmission means for actuating a driving member adapted for automatic cranking engagement with a member of the engine to be started. There is also provided, in combination with a starter :and formed as an integral unit therewith, a compressor which is adapted to be actuated by the engine after the latter has started operating under its own power, thereby providing a reserve supply of fluid under pressure for operating the fluid pressure motor.

It will be obvious that the invention is not limited to the form shown in the drawing, but is capable of a variety of mechanical embodiments. For example, any suitable type of fluid distribution means may be substituted for the specific arrangement shown and described, and any suitable number of cylinders may be employed in the fluid pressure motor. Likewise, other forms of compact and symmetrical reduction gearing may be substituted for the gear train described herein. Also, various types of compressors having one or morecylinders, may be operatively connected to the drive shaft which is operated by the engine, whereby a fluid may be compressed and stored in a supply tank. Various other changes, which will now appear to those skilled in the art, may be made in the form, details of construction, and arrangement of the parts, withoutdeparting from the scope of the bination with an engine member, a gear in alignment with said engine member, a starter including a crankshaft movable to drive said gear, a releasable clutch between said starter and engine member, a. second crankshaft in alignment with said clutch and in parallel relation to said first-named crankshaft, and a pair of registering castings, rotatably supporting said crankshafts at opposite sides of the eccentric portions thereof.

3. In a combined air starter and compressor,

wherein the starting unit and the compressing unit each include a crankshaft having the usual crank or eccentric portion, a single casing enclosing both said units, said single casing including a pair of abutting castings, means integral withv one of said castings for rotatably supporting both said crankshafts on one side of the eccentric portions of each, and means integral with the other of said castings for rotatably supporting both said crankshafts on the other sideof the eccentric portions thereof.

4. In a device of the class described, in combination with an engine member, a releasable clutch in alignment with said engine member, a starter including a crankshaft movable to drive said releasable clutch, a second crankshaft, in parallel relation to said first-named crankshaft, and a'pair of registering castings rotatably supporting said crankshafts at opposite sides of the eccentric portions thereof.

5. In a device of the class described, in combination with an engine member, an engine engaging member in alignment with said engine member, a starter including a crankshaft movable to drive said engine engaging member, a second crankshaft, in parallel relation to said first-named crankshaft, and a pair of registering castings rotatably supporting said crankshafts at opposite sides of the eccentric portions thereof.

6. In a combined fluid pressure motor and compressor, wherein the motor and the compressing unit each include a crankshaft .having the usual crank or eccentric portion, a single casing enclosing both said units, said single casing including a pair of registering castings, means integral with one of said castings for rotatably supporting both said crankshafts on one side of the eccentric portions of each, and means integral with the other of said castings for rotatably supporting both said crankshafts on the other side of the eccentric portions thereof.

7. In a device of the class described, in combination with an engine member, a power consuming device having a crankshaft rotatable with said engine member, a starter having a crankshaft parallel to said first-named crankshaft, and a pair of registering means rotatably supporting said crankshafts at opposite sides of the eccentric portions thereof.

ROMEO M. NARDONE. 

